Keli Woods is a UK-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer. Drawing on his personal journey into spirituality as a monk and a diverse range of influences (from big band swing to Vedic kirtan), Keli’s mesmerising melodies and soulful compositions ignite introspection and invite listeners to ponder life’s big questions.

Growing up in a musical family, Keli devoured his parents’ extensive record collection including music from Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Chet Baker, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell alongside obscure progressive music from the 60s and 70s. After a detour into the world of musical theatre and a near-miss with West End stardom at the age of 11, Keli formed his first jazz band at 13 years old, playing drumkit. The teenage jazzers were regulars at Noah’s Yard in Swansea, where they started a Monday night jazz club, and—inspired by the busking culture of New Orleans after a trip to the Big Easy—they kitted out a decommissioned ambulance and delighted audiences on the streets of UK in their self-fashioned ‘Jazz Ambulance.’

However, after several years the glitz and glamour of the rock’n’roll lifestyle lost its lustre for the introspective Keli. “We were much too young to be exposed to the sex and drugs,” he says. “It was intense. So, by the age of 15 or 16, I felt like I’ve seen and done it all, and was still not happy or fulfilled.” Worried that his music was only inspiring people to forget their lives rather than live in a progressive way, he fell into several years of darkness. Feeling desperate and in need of a change, he gave up on music and embraced a monastic lifestyle, living in ashrams and dedicating his time to the study of ancient wisdom.

“I needed to be reborn in some way. I was interested in philosophy books like the Bhagavad Gita and was doing a lot of research into mysticism and spirituality. It was about changing my mindset, my perspective. I abandoned music, and yoga and philosophy became my focus.” By opening himself up to a new way of thinking, his creative and artistic side was renewed, and he made his way back to music with newfound purpose. “I realised that music could be a vehicle to express these things that I’ve been studying and practicing.”

Now, as a solo artist, Keli transforms his profound experiences into captivating compositions with thought-provoking lyrics. “I’m trying to make music that gets people thinking about all of those deep, meaningful questions that we often postpone asking ourselves because we’re just too scared to ask.”

His warm and expressive music takes in everything from indie, gospel, folk, Indian, jazz, and acoustic sounds, and draws inspiration from his personal spiritual journey. His songs hope to reach out to listeners, hold them close, and offer them solace. “Sometimes all you need to hear is, ‘I understand.’ That’s what I want people to feel like when they hear my music, to feel like they’ve been understood and heard, and know that they’re not alone.”

Keli is a contemporary bard, a modern storyteller and verse-maker, having composed close to 200 original songs, including his EP Falling Upwards (2021) and recent singles ‘Skies’ and ‘Follow My Soul अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’. His honest compositions take the listener on a journey into the metaphysical nature of life, taking in themes like surrender and faith in a higher power, divine connection, the battle between intellect and intuition, patience, and authenticity.

In these troubled times, Keli’s songs serve as a healing elixir, an enchanting reminder that music can be so much more than a mere escape—it can be a transformative force that touches the very core of our being.